Taxi Driver Online

. . . . my Dad's bigger than your Dad . . .

Having now had a look at the transport for London act PCO notice 17/08, it doesn't actually state that the badge is going to be replaced only that the wording will change from "metal ticket" to "badge"



Now i agree that the inference is that we could lose our green metal ticket (badge) for a PHV type id badge but it doesn't actually state that anywhere.

Here's hoping that things don't change



As for you two, i wish both your Dads would come along and bang your bl**dy heads together! All this bickering just further reiterates why we as a trade can't stand together and fight our corner..............too much in-fighting and not enough unity, it ain't pretty guys and you're making us look a joke to outsiders.

Good day to you all.

Be lucky.

We have unity Mr ACabbie, in the form of 8400 Taxi drivers.

I understand you are new to the taxi trade, so the question is 'have you joined a trade body' ?

That's doing something to unite the trade my friend, not creating a website which slags off everyone and everything.

Without sounding like TF, as an individual it's a big bad world out there, even more so if you find yourself on complaint.

Depends if you count 11 years in the saddle "new to the trade" ?

I'm a member of the LTDA and have been ever since getting my badge. I certainly wouldn't be without a trade organisation behind me but at the same time i feel they could do a lot more to help us along, working alongside the other organisations would be a start. I'm not naive enough to think that they would agree on everything, like us they have differing opinions etc but at least agree on some things and start off like that, fighting alongside each other for the betterment of the London taxi trade.

I've been fortunate to not have a complaint against me, like most of us i go to work, provide a good service, am always polite and do the best i can. I'm never going to please everyone i meet, i've had threats of violence for not giving a guy a cigerette, i've had a guy tell me he had a gun in his bag and i've had the manic depressive threatening to kill himself in my cab but at the end of the day i've dealt with them each in their own seperate way and gone home no worse off than when i started.

I have a good many years still in me to give this trade, i'm 38 this year and like most people hope to not be pushing my cab around when i'm 70 but by the same token i would still like to know we have a viable trade that people still look up to in 30 years time.

No one can stop the march of time or the pursuit of new technologies, indeed we should embrace it when we can but somethings should remain in the past, our knowledge, the green badge to name 2......the knowledge has worked for the taxi trade since its implementation in 1851 and the green badge has been the carrot for every knowledge candidate since that date.

Good day to you sir.

Be lucky.

If there are moves afoot to bring in photo ID badges then the recent antics of the serial London cabby rapist will have only served to harden public opinion in favour of such badges.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

and that would have prevented it how exactly ?

What would have prevented what?

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I apologise, I thought you had just qualified, I'm mixing you up with another poster on the defunct BCF.



We have done on many issues, Emissions and Printers being two recent ones.

The LTDA spent a lot of money on a legal opinion(s) over the emission systems and the answer we received was that a court case (as demonstrated by the LCDC) would end in failure, and cost thousands, so they did'nt waste the members money.

That's how it works, we vote the 'commitee' in every so often to take these decisions.

I also know that the LCDC were informed of counsels advice, but chose to ignore it and they lost their case.





Could'nt agree more, and apart from some vested interests such as LTI and Radio circuits, I think all the trade bodies are together on that.




Very polite, Good day to you too.

Having a photo type id would have made no difference to this particular case.

If, as has been suggested we were to have a photo type id, it would be worn around our necks as our green badge is generally worn now. In the case of the cabbie rapist, he lured the women into the back of his taxi to "celebrate" a big win on the lottery, once there he poured them a glass of bubbly which was laced with some drug then proceeded to rape them once they had succumbed to the effects of the drug. I'm sure had the driver been wearing photo Id it would have been removed form his persons much as i imagine his green badge (and perhaps even his licence number on the door) was prior to the offences being commited.

We currently have photo Id anyhow, in the form of our bill (licence), it can be produced at anytime as it's always on us and it has our badge number on it and a picture which confirms who we are.




Fair point, but sadly we lost on both counts. Do you not think that a demonstration jointly organised by both parties would have perhaps had a more profound effect ? I'm sure the LTDA do some good or else i wouldn't be a member but the impression many get and this includes the decision makers is that we as a trade don't have a backbone! We generally moan a little, get around the table, voice our opinion but then get shafted anyhow The printers should never have been forced upon us! The emissions fiasco could have been managed better; perhaps limit the life of the vehicle to 15 years and put the pressure on the manufacturers to make a euro 5 (for example) compliant vehicle.

We do vote them in and we trust them to work for us but when you list what's been done which is not in our favour you do begin to wonder if there is anyone fighting your corner:-

Emissions
printers
compellable distance increased to 12 miles
extras removed
6 monthly inspection

to name a few. I'm not a doom-monger (well i can be at times) but the game is changing, London is changing and we need to remain in the game. It's a tough job and it's a big bad World but we need organisations to start pulling their weight a bit and say STOP to councils who ticket us for helping our passengers with their baggage or shopping or when we stop for 2 minutes outside an ATM. we need to stand up now or else things are going to get worse. we have a job to do and a reputation to maintain, i can already feel in myself a level of arrogance i never had before when people ask to stop at a cash point and i have to explain i'll do my best but that i can't risk getting a £60 fine......i don't like it, it's not in my nature and i strive to do what i can for them but i need to know that someone with authority is fighting for my and my passengers right and not just telling me to be careful! I know that already!!



That's me

Be lucky